UCLA recruit Shabazz Muhammad ruled eligible by NCAA

His debut may be delayed, but at least it will come under brighter lights.

UCLA freshman Shabazz Muhammad was declared eligible by the NCAA after hearing the school's appeal Friday. He is set to finally suit up for the Bruins on Monday at the Barclays Center, the new arena built for the Brooklyn Nets.

Muhammad, rated the top recruit in the country by Rivals.com, will play for the first time as No. 13 UCLA (3-0) faces Georgetown (2-0) at 5 p.m.

If the Bruins win, they'll need their dynamic swingman at his best in a likely matchup against top-ranked Indiana.

"I am excited to be able to play for UCLA starting next Monday," Muhammad said in a statement. "My family and friends were very supportive of me throughout this process and I couldn't have gone through this without them."

The Las Vegas product was first declared ineligible last Friday, just hours before UCLA's season opener against Indiana State and casting a shadow over what was supposed to be a triumphant re-opening of Pauley Pavilion.

He had been dogged by the investigation for months, with concerns swirling around recruiting trips to North Carolina and Duke. The trips were paid for by financial advisor and family friend Benjamin Lincoln, which Muhammad's family argued were permissible because it was a pre-existing relationship.

The NCAA ruled differently before the start of the season. After UCLA appealed, the parties agreed amateurism violations occurred but Muhammad would be reinstated with two conditions: That he repay $1,600 in impermissible benefits and miss 10 percent of the season (three games).

The freshman already sat out the Bruins' first three games.

"It certainly has extended out far longer than I ever anticipated," said Robert Orr, Muhammad's attorney. "It became more convoluted, shall we say, as time went on, which of course was extraordinarily frustrating for Shabazz and difficult for his family.

"People forget he's just a teenager who wants to play basketball for UCLA."

Now, a UCLA team that was picked to finish second in the Pac-12 finally will be able to play all four members of its highly touted recruiting class.

"We are extremely grateful that this matter has come to a conclusion," UCLA athletic director Dan Guerrero said in a statement. "I want to recognize that a lot of long hours and tireless effort were put into this process by staff members from UCLA and the NCAA, as well as by Shabazz Muhammad's family.

"This entire process has been challenging on many fronts, but we believe strongly in the principles of fairness, integrity and due process."